AfDB Supports Tanzania Rural Water Supply and Sanitation Programme

Tunis, 15 September 2010 - The Board of Directors of the African Development Bank (AfDB) Group has approved a USD 98-million (UA* 65 million) loan and grant to finance phase two of Tanzania’s Rural Water Supply and Sanitation Programme (RWSSI II).

The funding, approved on Wednesday, 15 September 2010 in Tunis, comprises a UA 59-million loan from the African Development Fund (ADF), the concessional window of the AfDB Group, and a UA 6-million Rural Water Supply and Sanitation (RWSSI) Trust Fund Grant.

Tanzania adopted a long-term development plan for its rural water supply and sanitation to meet the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), among other objectives. This intervention, under the National Rural Water Supply and Sanitation Programme (NRWSSP), is part of a broader Water Sector Development Programme (WSDP). The first phase of the RWSSP, covering the period 2007-2010, was approved in 2006 for UA 55 million out of a total requirement of UA 223 million. Its implementation provided 8,250 operational water points serving 1.9 million people. During the same period, over 1.5 million people were sensitized on sanitation and hygiene, about 370 demonstration latrines were built, and more than 1200 artisans trained.

The goal of RWSSP II is to improve health and quality of life for rural Tanzanians through the provision of water and sanitation services on a sustainable basis. The implementation of the program will include the construction of rural water supply and sanitation infrastructure, national sanitation campaigns and school water and sanitation hygiene education, as well as sector management support. Its total cost is estimated at UA 200 million and it is expected to be completed in four years.

One out of every two persons in Tanzania has no access to safe water supply. In addition, the country’s vast geographic dispersion makes it more difficult for rural Tanzanians who have to travel long distances to fetch water. This has a negative impact on economic development.

The project is expected to provide safe drinking water to an additional 4.6 million people. The direct beneficiaries will be children in 264 schools in rural Tanzania, while some 10 million people will benefit from the sanitation and hygiene program.

The implementation of the programme will reduce the spread of waterborne diseases and help with poverty eradication thereby contributing to efforts at meeting the MDGs. By supporting the programme, the Bank demonstrates its commitment to engage with governments in addressing water supply and sanitation challenges in Africa.